When I visited MIAD for the first time two summers ago, I took a little time to check out the neighborhood. Maybe it was the interesting preserved architecture, maybe it was the fact that my surname is written in huge, red letters on the side of a building down the street, or maybe it was the plentiful (and affordable) supply of beer at a myriad of locations in the area, but I fell in love with the Historic Third Ward.
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| The pater familias posing by the eponymous façade. |
Maybe it's just my naïveté, but I just imagined that an area like the Third Ward comes to exist naturally. That's why I was a little disappointed to discover that the character of this district is artificial. It was sort of like growing up and discovering Disney World's Haunted Mansion isn't really haunted, nor even an actual mansion. It's just a lot of mirrors and props. Once the initial disappointment fades, however, it's replaced by a deep fascination with the careful artistry involved in maintaining the illusion of a haunted mansion, or in the case of the Third Ward, a historic district.
I'm not sure what I expected when I opened the Third Ward's design guidelines, but I sure wasn't expecting a 55 page treatise on the subject complete with photographic examples of right versus wrong architectural features. Once I had found my eyeballs and popped them back into their sockets, I was overjoyed to peruse this document and discover how thoroughly they had thought through the vision for this neighborhood. I was most pleased to see the guidelines for preserving the "ghost signs," which, as an admitted typophile, is one of my favorite aspects of the city of Milwaukee.
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| Ghost Sign. |
After going through the Third Ward's design guidelines, something started to bother me. If the aesthetics of the Third Ward are so carefully planned, why doesn't it feel more cohesive? Admittedly, the odd juxtaposition of disparate elements sitting right next to each other is something I find quite charming about Milwaukee. I thought this was a product of organic and unplanned growth, but apparently there's some sort of grand plan to it all. My question is this: Is everything really going according to plan? It's funny to look back and trace my emotional journey as I learned about the Third Ward. At first, I was charmed by what seemed like the quaint little part of town that time seemed to have forgotten. Then I was disappointed to learn that this anachronistic district was artificial. The design guidelines were impressive, but now I'm left wondering, what purpose do they really serve? Why aren't things... better? Is the Third Ward designed to appear undesigned? And if so, why?
I, too, was happy to see that the preservation of ghost signs are in the design guidelines for the Third Ward. They host a unique sense of nostolgia and are footprints of the past that are set in stone, illuminating the structures and posing as a backdrop, always reminding us that we live in a place that once was something else.
ReplyDeleteI love the ghost signage in the Third Ward and the old world charm that they bring. I am curious to know what they looked like when they were brand new and was always curious why no one ever invested time and effort into rejuvenating them. Every time I see the Hoffmann signage I think of you Dave.
ReplyDeleteI would agree Dave about the 'undesigned' aspect. It does seem like there is a disconnection in certain spots. Maybe it is because some areas are currently vacant, or the fact that some store fronts just look ugly, especially with some of the signage. Something about it at times just doesn't seem right, a mix mosh of stuff thrown together. Other times, it seems amazing.
ReplyDeletebrypad, the design guidelines actually prohibit the restoration of the ghost signs. They're meant to naturally fade away, which I'm ok with.
ReplyDeleteI think the ghost signage is important in connecting a community to their economic background. Many of these are from older businesses. I do find it however weird that today we don't use these techniques more often ourselves.
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